Breathe

1 month.
Friday of this week will mark my first month in China.
It that possible?

I feel like I have been here mere days. Everything goes by in a rush of blinding colors, sounds, and smells. I have been so on the go- between class, weekend school trips, and adventures with friends- that I didn't notice the time flying by me. However, this week I am slowing down a little and I am truly absorbing Beijing.

This week marks the 59th anniversary of 'shiyi', the Chinese national holiday commemorating October 1st when Chairman Mao declared the Peoples Republic of China and China's 'liberation'. It is the equivalent of America's July 4th except it's during the school year and everyone gets the whole week off. I can't say I'm devastated I have no school. :)

So I started off my 'shiyi' holiday by biking to school at 9am on Saturday morning to see the capital museum and Confucian and Lama temples for a history class trip. Yes, it was somewhat distressing to have to go to school the first day of my vacation, but by the end of the day I was so completely blown away by what I had seen, that the fact that it was a school trip had no significance. The capital museum was interesting but it was the temples that really took my breath away.

The temples are giant, traditionally structured Chinese buildings with vibrant colors and magnificent halls. Their intricately designed roofs house wonderful statues of Buddha's, Confucian scripts, and various god's and goddesses. At the Lama temple there is the biggest Buddha I have ever seen (yes it is bigger the the Buddha at the Buddha Bar in NYC). From standing at the very tips of its over sized toes and craning my neck as far back as it could go, I still struggled to see the ornately carved features of his face. In short, it is huge. With the dozens of richly colored silk scarves draped around his shoulders and the intoxicating clouds of incense rising slowly from the ground, I found myself a little bit mystified and overwhelmed. It was easy to imagine several hundred years previous, worshippers kneeling at the feet of the peaceful giant, hoping he was listening to their prayers.

Sunday I awoke even earlier to go to school which most might think would be an odd choice for the second straight day of vacation. But Sunday was no ordinary vacation day. Sunday was my high schools sporting competition, and SYA students had to compete. Luckily for me, I was not one of the volunteered number who had to leap, throw, and sprint for SYA pride. Instead, I watched and cheered proudly for our class as we took home the silver overall, quite a feat considering SYA has only won once in its history. It may be cheesy, but it really did make me happy to see my classmates do so well and come together. We all got a little closer :).

Monday I spent enjoying all of Beijing's best parks with my friend, and then the next day my host family took off for a two day vacation to our laolao's (mom's mom). I have mentioned her before and we spent the two days relaxing, eating (a lot), and just enjoying each other's company. To me, it was a little bit bittersweet because it reminded me of family gatherings at home and it made me have a few pangs of homesickness. Not to worry, I quickly got over them and my chinese family kept me highly entertained. Perhaps the best part of the trip was Tuesday night. We went walking after a ridiculously large dinner and found ourselves in a little park. A park in China is not in any way, shape, or form, like a park in America. Yes there are trees and flowers and paths, but then there are the 50 odd people lined up in the middle dancing to traditional Chinese folk music. Yes, you read that correctly. In the middle of these parks there are an odd assortment of young and old, family and friends, dancing and watching, people who come to parks to let loose. There is always a DJ with a giant set of speakers playing very loud traditional music and the people listen and dance. I was thoroughly enjoying the watching and listening aspect of this excersize, but my family would not have it. My host aunt, a seemingly stern but genuinely friendly lady, pulled me on to the dance floor and she meant business. So in front of the crowd of 50 or so fascinated Chinese people, my aunt taught me to dance. At first I was mortified. Everyone stared at the funny little 'waiguoren' (foriegner) with two left feet. After a while though, when the steps became slightly less mechanical and the stares started to fade away, I began to enjoy myself. Thoroughly. My aunt led me around the park, twirling and dipping as we went, and I couldn't help but get into it. If you ever visit China, you must try to go park dancing.

Lots of other interesting things happened since I have written my last post, but I have to go to sleep now and the stories can be told another time. Before I retire to my bunk, I want to say this. A month here has already done for me what no other country/program/experience could ever do. I am learning something invaluable here- how to be comfortable and confident wherever I go. One month in and I already feel comfortable riding the buses, subways, and my bike around the city. I am not scared to have awkward or difficult conversations due to language barriers anymore because I know if I try hard enough I can get my intention across. It's been a month and I am really settling into life here. I love Beijing.

Until Next Time
Julia

Song of the Week:
See the World by: Gomez